The double-hemisphere manuscript shows California as an island and part of the north coast of Australia. A small celestial globe appears alongside portrait medallions of Julius Caesar, Ptolemy, Gerard Mercator and Jodocus Hondius, Henricus's father, in each corner.

Hondius's rare 'Nova Totius Terrarum orbis Geog' map

The map has been hand coloured, measures 380 x 540mm and has a central vertical fold. French text is scribed on its verso.

Of particular note is the drawing of Claudius Ptolemaeus, known as Ptolemy in English. Mathematician, astronomer and geographer Ptolemy played a key role in evolving the art of mapmaking during the 2nd Century AD.

Ptolemy's treatise on mapping was a definitive guide to how it should be done. Its influence is very evident in Hondius's map.